A Very Odd Friendship
by Nonsense-Nosense
Summary: Cedric had a very odd friend at Hogwarts. His friend rubbed off on him enough that he was able to survive the graveyard. And maybe he rubbed off enough on her to end the House feud? One shot for now. May expand if asked.
1. Prologue

If anything at Hogwarts could be considered truly odd, it would be the friendship of Zara Lynch and Cedric Diggory. Diggory was a Hufflepuff and Lynch a Slytherin, and while the rivalry wasn't as strong with Hufflepuff as it was with Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, it was still there. But the two were nearly inseparable, despite nearly having no classes together. They ate meals together, – always at the Hufflepuff table – they were always studying together in the library, and whenever they had free time, they spent it out on the grounds by the lake or somewhere in the Hufflepuff dorms.

Zara and Cedric just clicked. They knew their friendship didn't make sense to anyone else, but it made sense to them, and that was all that mattered. Zara actually cared about Cedric more than his looks. Yes, he was handsome, but that wasn't what made him Cedric. What made him Cedric was the way he'd always swat at her and complain when she messed up his perfect hair, the fact that he loved Charms despite being horrible at it and how he was a prodigy at Ancient Runes, but despised the subject. He was Cedric because he, the epitome of all things Hufflepuff, would complain about homework and Snape just like every other student, because he had a crush on a Ravenclaw in their year and despaired that she would never really see _him_. Yes, he was kind and loyal, just and hardworking, but those things weren't what made him her best friend. He was her best friend simply because he was Cedric, and all those traits he had just helped him to see past the emblem on her robes and see her for who she was.

Likewise, Zara wasn't _just_ a Slytherin. Sure, she was a Snake, but she was human too, and unlike the rest of her house, she actually let loose and showed her emotions freely. She didn't mind getting dirty and she loved Quidditch almost as much as Oliver Wood did. Not that anyone but Cedric knew that, because no one but Cedric cared. She didn't care what people thought if they caught her out by the lake wrestling with Cedric, or if anyone approved of her waking up all the boys in the fifth years' boys' dorm so that she could drag poor Cedric out of bed at two thirty in the morning because O. were two days away and she was panicking and needed him to help her study. She laughed and joked around, she was human. She loved Transfiguration because the concept of it baffled her and hated Potions because, in her words 'Snape is a dick.' She didn't care about image, or blood purity. She only cared if you pissed her off or not. She teased Cedric about his crush on Cho, laughed when they both realized that dozens of other boys in different Houses, including Harry Potter, had a crush on the girl too. He wasn't 'pretty boy Cedric Diggory' to Zara, he was 'dumbass, get out there and make a move.' She was warm and kind, sarcastic and witty. Yeah, she was cunning and ambitious, it was those very traits that put her in Slytherin, but she wasn't manipulative or cruel, she wasn't evil. She was good. She was brave, loyal, and intelligent too. She also wanted to be Head of the DMLE someday, and straighten out the Ministry. She wanted to make the government less corrupt. That didn't mean she didn't know how to use her cunning to her advantage. She definitely did, and she used it often. However, she didn't think herself above anyone else or think certain people didn't deserve magic. She just made sure certain events went the way she wanted, when she wanted.

Despite all their differences, they were also the same, and with as much time as they spent together, certain traits did rub off on the other. It was cunning and a healthy dose of paranoia he learned from Zara that helped Cedric survive that night in the graveyard. And it was humility she learned from Cedric that allowed Zara to visit Harry Potter in the infirmary afterwards, grasp his hand, kiss his brow, look into his haunted emerald eyes, and say 'thank you.'

Despite the oddness of their friendship, they were friends, and they wouldn't have it any other way.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Some of you have read my one shot, A Very Odd Friendship. Well, thanks to a review from Ducky the Insomniac Panda, I've decided to expand. Thank you for your review, and I hope it lives up to your expectations. This follows Zara and Cedric from their first week at Hogwarts to the end of the war. Enjoy, lovely, and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: EVERYTHING BELONGS TO JKR EXCEPT FOR ZARA, IZZY, AND PLOT!**

Zara sat alone at the end of her table, avoiding the sneers of her Housemates and the looks of distrust from the rest of the school. She was the only muggleborn in her House, and she was proud of that fact, but it didn't make her any friends – as a matter of fact, she'd spent most of the past week in the library because her fellow Slytherins kept hexing her and she wanted to be able to fight back. She'd taken to sleeping in abandoned classrooms because she knew her Head of House wouldn't do anything to help her, and she adopted the word mudblood as a badge of honor. She returned the ruthless jeers of the purebloods around her and bore their torment in silence. She learned to hide the bruises and slowly forming scars with concealer – she'd written her mother the day after the sorting and asked her to send some. She would learn spells to do the same later. For now, she needed to learn to defend herself, which was exactly what she would do.

Cedric couldn't help noticing the way one of the Slytherins in his year always sat on her own. Her Housemates would sneer at her when they thought no one was looking, and for the most part, no one had noticed – except Cedric. He'd seen the bruises and scratches on her the first day of classes and wondered why none of the teachers said anything. Then he noticed the girl studying in the library far longer than necessary for homework. She was completely alone and Cedric was determined to fix that.

It was Saturday, the sun was shining bright and most students were relaxing or doing their homework – except for two. One fair haired little girl was curled sleeping in an empty classroom close to the Hufflepuff dormitories, unaware that someone was about to disturb her rest and change her life.

Cedric had just wanted some time alone – he hadn't expected to trip over the odd Slytherin he'd been seeing sequestered in the library every day of the last week upon entering what appeared to be an empty room. He'd opened the door just enough to slip inside and had promptly found himself face-first on the stone floor. A straw-colored head shot up and gentle hands were probing his head.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry; I didn't think anyone would come in here!"

Cedric rolled over and pushed himself into a sitting position. He smiled at the girl.

"It's okay, I'm not hurt."

She frowned at him.

"You're nose is bleeding and looks like it's been broken." She said seriously. Cedric's brow furrowed.

"Really?"

She nodded, looking concerned.

"Looks like you either hit your nose on something as you fell or you landed directly on your face." She helped him to his feet, "Come on, I'll help you to the hospital wing."

He frowned at her.

"Why don't you just heal me? You do it to yourself all the time."

She looked stunned for a moment – surprised that anyone had noticed her injuries, really – then she laughed and shook her head.

"I don't heal myself, I just cover the scratches and bruises with concealer and ignore the pain." She rolled her eyes at herself, "Learning healing spells had never occurred to me – I was more worried about being able to defend myself."

Cedric's frown deepened and he stopped in his tracks.

"If we're going to get me healed, you should let them help you too."

The girl's face took on a stubborn cast.

"No. None of them have noticed what's going on yet – I'll take care of it myself." She said decisively. He shook his head.

"Then I don't need to go to the hospital wing either."

The concern returned.

"But if you don't get your nose set properly, it'll look wonky when it heals." She protested. He just met her gaze, determined to get her help too. She sighed.

"Fine, I'll let the nurse look at me too."

He grinned.

"Excellent. Let's get going then."

She eyed him warily.

"You're very odd." She told him as they fell into step together. He only chuckled.

"You're not exactly normal either – why were you sleeping in that classroom, anyway?"

She shrugged.

"Safer than sleeping in the dorms and doesn't have the same risks of hiding in the library." She replied nonchalantly. He frowned again.

"Your Head of House hasn't done anything?"

She snorted mirthlessly.

"Most of the time he seems to agree with them. I doubt he'd help me." She retorted bitterly. His frown deepened. In his mind, it was a teacher's job to look after the well being of the students in their care, and Professor Snape was failing in that duty. He decided to change the subject.

"I'm Cedric, by the way, Cedric Diggory. What's your name?"

She smirked at him, but there was gratitude in her eyes.

"Zara Lynch. Nice to meet you, Cedric."

He smiled.

"Nice to meet you too, Zara. Would you like to be friends?"

She stopped dead, staring at him in stunned disbelief.

"Really?" she asked hopefully. He nodded, his expression firm.

"You seem nice enough and you look like you could use a friend. I want to be that friend."

He was surprised when she hugged him.

"I've never had a friend before." She whispered from where her face was buried in his robes. Cedric's features hardened as he returned the hug, holding her loosely until she was ready to let him go. It was a few minutes before she released him, and when she did, she ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Sorry." She muttered to her feet. He tilted her face up and smiled.

"Don't be. That's what friends are for." He assured her. A smile lit up her face and he knew that had been the right thing to say. He grabbed her hand and tugged on it gently.

"Come on; let's get to the hospital wing."

She huffed, but allowed him to lead her up the stairs.

"What on earth happened? Did he attack you, dear?" the matron of the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey, as she'd introduced herself, asked. Zara smiled weakly.

"Not unless you count tripping over me whilst I slept an attack." She replied caustically. Pomfrey frowned.

"What was he doing in the Slytherin common room?" she demanded, bewildered. Zara shook her head.

"He wasn't, I was sleeping in an abandoned classroom, but that's not important, Cedric broke his nose when he fell, can you fix it?" The woman huffed, apparently offended by the question.

"Of course I can fix it! Hop up on the bed, dearie, then your friend can explain why she was sleeping in an abandoned classroom."

Zara winced while Cedric did as ordered. Madam Pomfrey aimed her wand at his nose and, seconds later, it was fixed. The blood was gone and his nose had been straightened. Then the nurse turned on Zara.

"Now, I'd like that explanation, young lady."

"Her Housemates have been attacking her, but she's been hiding her injuries using make-up."

Pomfrey's eyebrows shot up and Zara sighed. With a flick of the witch's wand, the concealer was gone, and her many bruises and forming scars were exposed. Madam Pomfrey gasped.

"Good heavens, girl, why didn't you come to me sooner? Or go to your Head of House? Severus would have put a stop to this!"

The girl snorted.

"Why would he? I'm just a filthy little mudblood." She sneered. Madam Pomfrey frowned.

"Young lady, I don't want to hear you calling yourself that wretched name again. There's nothing wrong with being muggleborn and whoever's been calling you that word ought to have their mouth washed out with soap!" she sighed, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to call Severus here, dear. It's my professional duty to inform all Heads of House when their students are injured. Then I'll see to those bruises and make sure none of the scratches are infected."

Zara nodded, hanging her head resignedly. Cedric traded places with her on the bed and held her hand while they waited for Professor Snape to arrive. It didn't take long. Within minutes, Snape was sweeping into the room, a look of concern on his face.

"Miss Lynch, are you alright?" he shot a dark look at Cedric, "Is this the one who attacked you?" he demanded. Zara shook her head quickly while Cedric looked affronted.

"No sir, Cedric's the one that convinced me to come see Madam Pomfrey. It was other Slytherins that did this." She told him, gesturing to her various injuries. Snape frowned.

"How long has this been going on, Miss Lynch, and why didn't you say something sooner?"

"She thought you would agree with her attackers, Professor. They've been going after her because she's muggleborn." Cedric answered before Zara could speak. Both Slytherins glared at him, though for different reasons.

"Mr. Diggory, I'm sure Ms. Lynch can speak for herself."

"But she wouldn't have told you the truth." Cedric stated surely. Snape frowned while Zara stuck her tongue out at her new friend.

"How could you possibly know that?" the man demanded. Cedric shrugged.

"She went a week without telling you that she was being attacked daily and didn't feel safe in her own dorms – I thought it reasonable to conclude that she wouldn't tell you the truth about why she hadn't said anything." He replied nonchalantly. Zara huffed at the boy, though he could see her lips twitching in amusement. Snape turned to Pomfrey.

"How long will it take to heal her, Poppy? I'd like to call a House meeting within the next hour."

Pomfrey huffed.

"Just a minute, Severus, though I'm going to have to insist she take this potion for a few days, as some of her injuries are infected." She told him, holding up a vial of green potion as she waved her wand over Zara in complicated patterns that the girl couldn't hope to replicate. Zara took the potion obediently, making a face at the taste. Cedric tugged on her hand, gaining her attention.

"I'll meet you in front of the library when you're done, yeah?"

She smiled at him.

"I'd like that." She agreed happily. He grinned at her.

"I'll see you in an hour or so." He told her in parting as he left. He needed to see his own Head of House about allowing his new friend access to the Hufflepuff common room….

Zara followed her Head of House silently as he swept into the Slytherin common room. Everyone was there, it being the weekend and most of them taking the time to sleep in or relax before leaving the safety of the Pit. Everyone froze, a Prefect hurrying to wake those still sleeping when the man indicated for him to do so. It didn't take long for the entire House to gather. They waited in silence for their Head to speak. It was several minutes before he did so.

"I was just called to the hospital wing because one of the first years was injured. Can any of you guess who that was?" he asked smoothly. The upper years all gulped. Someone in Zara's own year stepped forward. It was a girl with mocha skin and whiskey colored eyes. She looked Italian.

"Zara Lynch, sir."

Snape's dark eyes locked on her.

"Yes, Ms. Zabini, that is correct. You don't seem surprised."

Zabini shook her head.

"The third years and up keep hexing her," she told him, ignoring the glares of her Housemates, "Though I'm surprised she went to the hospital wing." She admitted, shooting a questioning look at Zara. Snape inclined his head to the girl.

"She did not go willingly, Ms. Zabini, I assure you. She was found by a Hufflepuff sleeping in an abandoned classroom. The boy had tripped over her and broken his nose as he fell. He had noticed her injuries throughout the week and refused to seek treatment unless she herself did." His eyes swept over the assembled students.

"I have never been more disgusted with a group of my own Snakes since I gained my post as Head of House. It does not matter that Ms. Lynch is a muggleborn – she has the ambition and cunning to be sorted here despite her parentage. As Slytherins, it is our job to protect each other, as the other Houses will lend us no aid. I am disappointed to say that you have added to the suffering of one of your own. She was assisted by a Hufflepuff. If I find any more evidence that she is being abused by the rest of you – and I will find out, I assure you – I will take one hundred points from Slytherin and throw the lot of you in detention. Any issues you have with each other are to be handled in the form of a duel, and can only be issued between third and upper years. If you wish to challenge Ms. Lynch once she has begun her third year, you may inform me and I will supervise the duel. Anything else is considered an attack and the punishment shall grow more severe with each assault. Am I making myself clear?" he demanded. The House nodded as one. Then Snape turned to Zara.

"Ms. Lynch, I will be confiscating the make-up you've been using to conceal your injuries. I would also like to see you in my office later this evening."

Zara paled, but she nodded and walked up the stairs leading to the girls' dorm and over too her trunk. She pulled out the make-up her mother had sent her, putting in the small bag she'd sent it in, before heading back downstairs. She handed the bag to her Head of House reluctantly. Snape raised a brow.

"This is all of it?"

She looked him in the eye and nodded.

"Yes sir."

He nodded himself and turned to address the rest of the House once more.

"I am forbidding anyone to give Ms. Lynch any make-up to aid in hiding any future injuries. If I find that this rule has been ignored, I will set up a ward around the common room that will repel any such product from entering and all inside it shall be expelled. I will leave you to the rest of your day."

With that, he swiftly left the room, leaving Zara standing alone in a terrible, tense silence. She turned to leave herself, but was stopped by the Zabini girl calling out to her.

"Wait."

She paused, but didn't turn back around, her ears pricked for the familiar 'whoosh' of a spell from the sixth or seventh years who had learned non-verbal casting. It was something she needed to look into herself.

"Yes?" she asked quietly.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Zara felt this questions was one that all present were curious about. So she turned back around and looked the other girl dead in the eye.

"Because I have been spending all of my free time in the library, learning as many spells as I could – practicing when I wasn't doing homework – all so that I could defend myself. I'm going to continue going to the library, and learn as much as I can, so that when I am eventually challenged – and I'm sure I will be – I can destroy my challenger and any other who oppose me. I will not allow myself to be victimized. This last week I have been bidding my time, so that, in a matter of weeks, I could return on my attackers their spells, and make them suffer my pain tenfold. I was place in this House for a reason. I am cold, I am patient, and I am unforgiving. I will have my revenge against those who have harmed me – I just have to find another way to go about it. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm late for something and I rather not continue to linger."

She turned on her heel, pausing once more just as she reached the entrance, because the Zabini girl had called out to her again.

"Can I go with you?"

Zara looked back at the girl over her shoulder, and smirked at the calculating expression on her face.

"I won't stop you." She replied evenly before stepping through the portrait.

Cedric was surprised when Zara appeared in the library with another girl close behind her. He looked at his new friend questioningly. She shrugged.

"She decided to follow me."

"After what you said in the common room, I want to stay on your good side, Lynch."

Zara snorted.

"Well, the first step to that would be telling me your name. I refuse go around calling you 'Zabini' for the next seven years." She told the girl baldly. Cedric was shocked. This was nothing like the shy girl he'd met merely hours before. She saw his expression and smiled almost sheepishly.

"You were kind to me. She has been indifferent for the last week. So I am indifferent to her. You, however, I would like to be friends with, if, that is, you still want to?" she asked, somewhat hesitant. She expected him to want nothing to do with her after seeing this side of her. He surprised her. He rolled his eyes.

"Of course I do. You're not getting rid of me that easily, Z."

Her brow furrowed.

"Z?"

Cedric frowned.

"You've never had a nickname before?" he asked incredulously. She shook her head.

"I've never had friends before." She reminded him gently. Both their attention was taken when Zabini cleared her throat.

"You wanted my name?" she asked haughtily. Cedric bristled, but Zara nodded, amusement entering her eyes.

"I did, and I still do, so if you would kindly give it…" she trailed off mockingly, as though Zara hadn't been completely ignoring the girl for the past five minutes. Zabini glared at her, but did give her name.

"Isabelle."

Zara nodded, then gestured to Cedric.

"This is Cedric Diggory. He is the reason I was in the Hospital Wing this morning."

"You were injured too!" he said indignantly. Zara smirked at him.

"Yes, but if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have continued to suffer my injuries in silence. Now what did you want to do in the library? Or did you just want to meet here because we all know where it's at?" she asked, her smirk transforming into an expectant expression and Cedric shook his head. What had he gotten himself into?"


End file.
